Floristic Composition, Interspecific Relationships and Productivity During 2006, in the Meadows with Arnica Montana from Gârda De Sus (Apuseni Mountains)

Stoie A. and Rotar I.

FLORISTIC COMPOSITION, INTERSPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS AND PRODUCTIVITY DURING 2006, IN THE MEADOWS WITH ARNICA MONTANA FROM GÂRDA DE SUS (APUSENI MOUNTAINS)

STOIE A.*, ROTAR I.* *University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, 3-5 Manastur street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, [email protected]

Abstract On the limestone plateau of the Garda de Sus commune perimeter the Arnica montana habitats were studied during 2006. This area is included in the Apuseni Natural Park. Vegetation samples by metric frame method were taken on random selected areas. Biomass samples were collected over the entire metric frame (1 m²) from a height of 5 cm above the ground. We have identified a total of 96 species of vascular plants. For the study of interspecific relationships and productivity the RDA ordination was done. Productivity of green mass had an average value of 6.58 t ha-1 and the average dry matter productivity was 1.62 t ha-1 . Both the Arnica montana population and his habitats are threatened primarily by changing traditional usage due to their low productivity.

Keywords: Mountain grassland, Arnica montana , medicinal plant, productivity, Transylvania

INTRODUCTION The species Arnica the Arnica montana grasslands montana is found in Romania on the limestone plateau in the exclusively in the mountain area perimeter of Gârda de Sus were and is a valuable medicinal plant, studied, this area is also included but has also uses in cosmetics. in the Apuseni Natural Park. This species is found commonly These habitats are threatened in grasslands with traditional primarily by changing the mode management on the perimeter of of use. The current use of these Garda de Sus (Apuseni grasslands is mixed, but the main Mountains) (Păcurar et al. 2006), production is the hay used for both on siliceous and calcareous winter feeding of the local’s rocks (Stoie et al. 2008). In 2006 animals.

Romanian Journal of Grasslands and Forage Crops (2011) 3 81 Floristic composition, interspecific relationships and productivity during 2006, in the meadows with Arnica montana from Gârda de Sus (Apuseni mountains)

Romania is one of the (Michler and Reif, 2003). The main source countries of dried species rich Nardus stricta and Arnica montana flower heads Arnica montana habitats are processed in Central Europe listed with the code number - (Kathe et al., 2004). Highly Code 6230 – in the EU-FFH- diverse grasslands can still be directive (92/43) and the found in the Apuseni Mountains species Arnica montana is listed (Transylvania, Romania), with a in Annex V (92/43) (Michler et total of 143 species identified al., 2005)

MATERIAL AND METHOD The areas selection confirmed by GPS. The where the vegetation samples vegetation samples were taken were taken was performed using by the metric frame method. All a full mapping of the grasslands species of vascular plants on the where medicinal species Arnica 1 m² vegetation sample were montana has been identified, on identified and their coverage the perimeter of the Gârda de was quantified (in coverage %) Sus. Random selection was made with high accuracy especially for by the "golden numbers" using species with lower coverage. the pre-numbered areas in the The biomass samples full mapping. Mapping and were collected from the entire selection of sample areas was metric frame (1 m²) from a conducted in the research height of 5 cm above the ground. project "Arnica montana". For Parts from the layer of 2006 in the northern limestone bryophytes and lichens have not plateau a total of 17 sample been harvested anyhow they areas were randomly selected in usually do not exceed the height the perimeter of Gârda de Sus. of 5 cm. The green mass was On each of these areas one weighed as soon as possible vegetation sample was taken. after harvest, taking measures to The plots were established on prevent water loss. The dry the full mapping and clearly matter was obtained by drying identified on the ground using at room temperature and then in satellite images and the oven at a temperature of 100 topographical maps and ° C for 3 hours.

82 Romanian Journal of Grasslands and Forage Crops (2011) 3 Stoie A. and Rotar I.

To view the interspecific (version 4.0) by redundancy relationships and productivity of Analysis (RDA), followed by dry matter, the data obtained Monte Carlo permutation test. were processed using the program CANOCO for Windows

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION productivity was between 0.54 t ha-1 and 2.23 t ha-1 with an The weighed green mass arithmetic mean value of 1.62 t productivity was between 1.92 t ha-1 . These values were obtained ha-1 and 10.80 t ha-1 with an by reference to the hectare of the arithmetic mean value of 6.58 t weightings performed on the 1 ha-1 and the weighed dry matter m² sample areas. (Fig.1).

Fig. 1. The productivity of green mass and dry matter in Arnica montana habitats during 2006, on the limestone plateau of Gârda de Sus (Apuseni Mountains). (p - parcels numbering with Arnica montana)

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The vegetation samples taken in the officinalis, Galium album, Gentianella study identified a total of 96 species lutescens, Gymnocarpium of vascular plants as follows: robertianum, Gymnadenia conopsea, - Species of the family Hieracium aurantiacum, Hieracium Poaceae: Agrostis capillaris, bauhini, Hieracium murorum, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Briza Hieracium pilosella, Hypericum media, Cynosurus cristatus, maculatum, Knautia dipsacifolia, Deschampsia caespitosa, Lathyrus pratensis, Leontodon Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca rubra, hispidus, Leucanthemum vulgare, Nardus stricta, Phleum pratense, Pseudorchis albida, Lychnis flos- Trisetum flavescens. cuculi, Linum catharticum, - Other species of the order Melampyrum sylvaticum, Mercurialis Poales (sensu Angiosperm perennis, Myosotis arvensis, Myosotis Phylogeny Group 2009): Carex sylvatica, Parnassia palustris, remota, Carex nigra, Carex Pimpinella major, Plantago pallescens, Carex pilosa, Juncus lanceolata, Plantago media, Polygala effusus, Luzula campestris. comosa, Polygala vulgaris, Potentilla - Species of the family erecta, Primula elatior, Primula veris, Fabaceae: Anthyllis vulneraria, Lotus Prunella vulgaris, Ranunculus acris, corniculatus, Medicago lupulina, Rhinanthus glaber, Rhinanthus Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens. minor, Rumex acetosa, Scabiosa - Species of other botanical families: columbaria, Scorzonera rosea, Silene Achillea distans, Ajuga genevensis, nutans, Soldanella hungarica, Ajuga reptans, Alchemilla vulgaris, Solidago virgaurea, Stachys alpina, Anemone nemorosa, Antennaria Stellaria gramineaTaraxacum dioica, Arnica montana, Astrantia officinale, Thymus pulegioides, major, Campanula abietina, Trollius europaeus, Vaccinium Campanula patula, Campanula myrtillus, Veratrum album, serrata, Carlina acaulis, Carum carvi, Verbascum nigrum, Veronica Centaurea mollis, Centaurea chamaedrys, Veronica officinalis, pseudophrygia, Cerastium Viola canina, Viola declinata. holosteoides, Cirsium erisithales, After the RDA analyzes the Clinopodium vulgare, Colchicum amount of dry matter explained autumnale, Crepis biennis, Crocus 13% of the total variance of the vernus, Dactylorhiza fistulosa, floristic composition (p - 0.03). Euphorbia carniolica, Euphrasia Species that occur only in one or

84 Romanian Journal of Grasslands and Forage Crops (2011) 3 Stoie A. and Rotar I.

two vegetation samples were side of the ordination by Luzula excluded to avoid distorting the campestris, but both genera results of ordination. generally occur in grasslands with From the family Poaceae the lower productivity. (Fig.2) species Festuca rubra, Agrostis The species belonging to the capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, family Fabaceae, represented and to a lesser extent Cynosurus especially by Trifolium pratense, cristatus are relatively common Trifolium repens, Lotus corniculatus and important in terms of feed. and Anthyllis vulneraria are in the These species can be observed in left part of the RDA ordination, the left RDA ordination contributing to a large extent to contributing not only to increased productivity and hay productivity increases but also to quality. (Fig.2) higher quality of the hay (Fig. 2). Among the species from the The important forage species other botanical families a great Trisetum flavescens had a high importance has the species Arnica dominance in eutrophic meadows montana, its habitats representing with higher productivity for the the theme of this study. Arnica studied area and is rare and shows montana although it occurs in all low coverage in the habitats of the habitats examined, it has a greater species Arnica montana. Nardus preference for those dominated by stricta and Deschampsia flexuosa Nardus stricta or Deschampsia can be identified to the right of the flexuosa. In this group from the RDA ordination, characterizing right side of the RDA ordination grasslands with relatively low are represented also some productivity. oligotrophic species such as The other species of the Potentilla erecta, Hieracium order Poales (sl.) have generally pilosella, Hieracium low coverage and are represented in the right side of the ordination by the genus Carex and in the left bauhini, Hieracium murorum and common bilberry (Vaccinium Vaccinium myrtillus. This group of myrtillus) although it may oligotrophic species generally produce some increases in characterizes lower productivity productivity, being a in the examined grasslands. The chamaephyte, its lignified

Romanian Journal of Grasslands and Forage Crops (2011) 3 85 Floristic composition, interspecific relationships and productivity during 2006, in the meadows with Arnica montana from Gârda de Sus (Apuseni mountains)

branches had no forage value. (Fig.2)

Fig. 2. Ordination diagram of species and dry matter yield from Arnica montana habitats in the ﬂoristic space deﬁned by RDA, based on species cover values. (The first four letters are the abbreviation of the genus and the last three are the species abbreviation)

86 Romanian Journal of Grasslands and Forage Crops (2011) 3 Stoie A. and Rotar I.

Most of the species from the with uncertain future (Stoie et other botanical families are al. 2009). A phenomenon found in the left side of the RDA commonly observed in ordination, characterizing mountain meadows in Romania relatively higher productivities. is the abandon of use, followed Here is also Gymnadenia by the succession to shrub and conopsea which is the most forest woody vegetation. This common species of the trend can be seen often in the Orchidaceae family in the grasslands of the study area. analysed grasslands. The These major successions species of this botanical family determine rapid floristic have a high protective value at composition changes European level. (Fig.2) (Alibegovic-Grbic et al. 2002). Hemiparasitic species Another possibility is the from the family Orobanchaceae transformation of the meadows (sensu Angiosperms Phylogeny to extensive or intensive Group 2009), represented by pastures, in order to decrease Rhinanthus glaber, Rhinanthus the workload. This minor, Euphrasia officinalis are transformation usually causes also common in the analysed significant changes in floristic samples and can be identified to composition and interspecific the left of the RDA ordination. relationships, depending on (Fig.2) grazing animals and to the way Although the main in which the grazing is harvest in the analyzed conducted (Ludvikova et al. grasslands was the hay mown 2009, Seither et al. 2010). An only once per year, most of effective practice to increase them were used mixed, being productivity is intensivization grazed in spring and autumn. or fertilizing (Vîntu et al. 2009). Due to their low productivity in These practices cause the current European Union significant reductions in the context, the maintaining of the floristic composition and profitability and the floristic diversity of mountain meadows composition, with the (Păcurar et al. 2004, Rotar et al. interspecific relationships 2010, Stybnarova et al. 2009). presented in this study remains However for this purpose are

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preferred areas with montana grasslands, which more favorable soil conditions usually have less fertile soils. than those of the Arnica

CONCLUSIONS

In the absence of effective measures for the conservation of the habitats considered in this study, accelerated change in the traditional way of use will continue in the future. Depending on the intensity of the changes in the mode of use imposed by low productivity, the population of the Arnica montana medicinal species may be strongly endangered. Also it may be endangered the abundance of other species in its habitats and the dynamic equilibrium of the complex interspecific relationships between them. Some of these species also have a high protective value, such as for example species of the family Orchidaceae. It may be endangered the whole complex of species identified in the Arnica montana habitats that forms a colorful grass carpet for long periods of the year and contribute significantly to the composition of the characteristic landscape of the studied area, area included in the Apuseni Natural Park.

88 Romanian Journal of Grasslands and Forage Crops (2011) 3 Stoie A. and Rotar I.

Acknowledgments

PN II IDEI ctr.1099 financed bz CNCSIS, The Darwin initiative UK, WWF UK and WWF Danube-Carpathian Programmes supported this research.

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